A continuing problem in the art of fuel and lubricant formulation is the improvement of performance characteristics of lubricants and normally liquid fuels. Often improved characteristics are achieved through the addition to these materials of relatively small amounts of additive compositions. Additives allow both the more efficient operation of devices using the fuels or lubricants, such as engines, transmissions, gears, etc., as well as more efficient utilization of fuels and lubricants themselves. As increasing attention is given to environmental concerns and to conservation of scarcer natural resources, the achievement of these goals becomes increasingly more desirable.
The additive compositions of the present invention, when added to lubricating oils or normally liquid fuels, increase the dispersancy of such materials, that is, the ability of such materials to retain in suspension the by-products of deterioration such as sludge which accumulates in a device during usage. These compositions are also useful in imparting to lubricants and normally liquid fuels the ability to inhibit corrosion (such as rust) of metal parts with which the lubricant or fuel may come in contact. In addition, it has been found that certain of the inventive additive compositions (viz., those containing ammonium and sulfonium groups) are capable of imparting anti-static properties to a normally liquid fuel. These properties allow a fuel to resist development of static charges during rapid transport operations such as that which occurs during loading and unloading of fuels.